trask



' (No Model.)

L. B. TRASK.

, BOOK INDEX.

N o.4'66,530. Patented Jan. 5,1892.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO B. TRASK, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AARON PERRY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOK-INDEX,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,530, dated January 5, 1892.

Application filed September 28, 1891. $erial No. 406,596. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEO B. TRASK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Indexes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as willv enable others skilled in the art to which it apro pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in indexing books; and it consists in the novel combination and arrangement, hereinafter fully described, and

I 5 afterwards definitely pointed outin the claim,

due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, whereiu- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a book provided with my improved index; and Fig.

ject treated on said leaf; but in the one case the edges of the leaves have to be out or otherwise recessed, and in the other the index is 3 5 not visible when the book is presented edgewise to the eye.

Itis the object of the present invention to provide an index that will be visible when the book is held edgewise, and having means 0 whereby the book can be readily and accurately opened at the different pages denoted by the index, said index being capable of being applied to books of all kinds without cutting or otherwise marring the leaves of said books.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates a book of usual construction. To the edges of the pages, which it is designed to index, such as those pages beginning the chap ters or other divisions of the book, the initial word or letter contained thereon, and the like, I affix tags B. Said tags are constructed of any suitable material possessing sufficient rigidity for the purpose, and are preferably affixed to the leaves by means of cement or other adhesive, and project slightly beyond the edges of the leaves, in order that they may be engaged by the finger or thumb in the act of separating the leaves and opening the book. Upon the edges of the leaves and at points adjacent to or opposite the tags B are printed, marked, or otherwise affixed letters, numbers, or characters 0, each letter, figure, or character conforming in its nature to the matter contained on the page to which its adjacent tag is secured. By this arrangement it is only necessary to inspect the edges of the leaves composing the book, and when the particular letter or character has been selected the thumb or finger is placed upon the tag adjacent to or opposite the character and the book opened disclosing the page desired.

\Vhat I claim is A book having index-characters markedon or otherwise secured to the edges of the leaves, and provided with tags secured to theleaves opposite or adjacent to said characters and projecting beyond the edges of said leaves, each tag being secured to the leaf containing the matter indicated by the index-character to which said tag is opposite or adjacent, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEO B. TRASK.

Witnesses:

JOHN COOGAN, JAMES H. LYNCH. 

